The 21-year-old has targeted playing in the second tier of English football within four years – and hopes it can be with Pompey.

This is what frustrates me with people sometimes, I don’t think they believe me when I say this is where I like playing football

Jed Wallace

Wolves and Sheffield Wednesday are among five clubs to have recently shown interest in the midfielder, who has amassed 115 games and 27 goals for the Blues.

However, he is contracted to Fratton Park until the summer of 2017.

Wallace has claimed he turned down advances from Brighton and Peterborough in the past to remain with the Blues, who plucked him from non-league football.

Yet the youngster is eager to leave League Two.

Andy Awford’s side may have missed the chance this season but Wallace hopes his aspirations can still be achieved at Pompey.

He said: ‘When I was 15 and my friends were going to college, I sat down with my parents and said “Look, if at some point I can earn X amount and I’m playing in the Conference then that would be a great achievement”.

‘By 20 I was earning more than X amount and had played more than 100 games in the league.

‘For me, it is about setting new targets and my target now is within four years to be playing in the Championship.

‘My dream would be to do that with Portsmouth – that would make me happier than anything.

‘This is what frustrates me with people sometimes, I don’t think they believe me when I say this is where I like playing football.

‘There has been Brighton, there has been Peterborough, while in the summer I could have gone to a tribunal and forced something.

‘But I like playing here and unless the situation is perfect for me to leave then I won’t.

‘I so want us to do well. We would be heroes around the city if we were second in the table now.

‘I am playing for a massive football club which is playing in League Two unfortunately.

‘I am not going to lie and say if they don’t go up in the next two years then I am going to be chomping at the bit to play in League Two because I am not.

‘I don’t want to stay in League Two forever.

‘That is not me thinking I am better than League Two but I believe I have done enough in the games I’ve played to earn an opportunity at some point in my career.

‘However, I am not going to jump ship and sign for, say, Barnsley tomorrow in League One. That is not my personality.

‘I am 45 minutes from home, really settled, have a good relationship with everyone here, it’s a great club with good fans and there is no need for me to leave right now.’

Wallace was Pompey’s leading scorer last term with seven goals and is also set to take that mantle this term.

The midfielder, before today’s game, was on 14 goals – although hasn’t netted in the past eight matches.

Regardless, his displays continue to be monitored by a host of clubs.

But Wallace is not prepared to depart Fratton Park for just anyone.

He added: ‘Brighton made a little bit of a token bid when I was on loan at Whitehawk and then Guy Whittingham called me back and said I was going to play for his team.

‘Peterborough made a really good bid, a lot more than was speculated, and I had a meeting with the powers-that-be here and told them that wasn’t for me.

‘No disrespect to Peterborough, who are a division higher, but I am not going to leave the club I love playing for to go and sign for them, it’s not going to happen.

‘I could have got a four or five year contract there as well.

‘I have two years left on my contract and if Portsmouth are still in League Two struggling then that is the way it is.

‘I will still be giving my all – until the people that make the decisions tell me differently.’